


When the New Spring Blooms

by ghost_maiden_of_delphi



Series: Love in the Land of Death [2]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Hellenistic Religion & Lore
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Olympian Gods, Childbirth, F/M, Gods, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Hellenistic Religion & Lore), Mythology References, Pagan Gods, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-02-29 17:26:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18782791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghost_maiden_of_delphi/pseuds/ghost_maiden_of_delphi
Summary: It's the last day of summer and fall is here. Hades goes to the mortal world to await Persephone's return. But it seems she has a surprise in store for him!How will everything change for the best couple in the Underworld? How will they handle it? And will Persephone pet his dog again? (Spoiler: Yes. Yes she will.)That's right, malakes! It's another Hades and Persephone AU! Check it out!





	1. A Day at the Museum

**Author's Note:**

> When the Season's Change was always meant to be a one-off, but I certainly never expected so many people to like it! I thought it would be fun to return to these characters and see how their lives continue to change.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Hades didn’t like crowds.

This might seem odd, considering that Hades shared space with every human who had ever passed away in the world. But these crowds were…alive.

It was creepy.

Still, it was worth it. First of all for the lovely view. On this autumn day, Hades found himself at the MoMA, the Museum for Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan, where they were showing an absolutely lovely display of modern impressionist art. Hades had received the recommendation from his sister, who's friend had her work on display.

Massive lines of native New Yorkers and tourists alike filed along rows of gorgeous oil-painted vistas. They looked over seascapes, plains, and more flowers than anyone could imagine.

Hades made the loop and braved the dense crowd to take in the sights. He’d spotted the one Hera had told him about, a lovely rendering of two peacocks in repose beneath an olive tree. Finally, when he’d had his fill, Hades retreated to a side room of year-round exhibits where he could catch his breath.

He took a seat on a flat bench that faced a large portrait of what appeared to be a can of tomato soup.

Hades rolled his eyes. Modern artists.

In Greece, they transposed scenes of legend. Gods and giants fighting for dominion over all creation, heroes defeating legendary monsters. Now they painted soup.

His leg bounced impatiently and he checked his watch.

“Waiting for someone?”

Hades looked toward the entrance to the room. Leaned against the wall was a man with olive skin and tumbling, chestnut curls. He wore a tight, black t-shirt and bicycle shorts. His face was plastered with a wide, charming grin.

Well, it would have been charming had Hades not known its owner.

He sighed. “What are you doing here, Hermes?”

“What? I can’t check in on my favorite uncle?”

“Favorite uncle?”

“Sure! I mean, what other family comes to see you in the Underworld?”

“Hecate. Thanatos. Hypnos. Hestia and I had a lovely dinner last-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I’m your favorite.”

“I prefer you down in the Underworld. Your aspect of death is quieter.”

“Well, that’s why I’m here. We never get to talk.” He plopped down on the bench next to Hades. “So, how’re you feeling? Nervous? Today’s the big day!”

“The big day?”

“The Vernal Equinox, come on! Like all of Olympus doesn’t know how much you miss your lady when she’s topside.”

“I won’t deny that I’m excited to see my wife, but I still don’t understand why you’re here.”

“I like art.”

Hades raised an eyebrow.

“What? I do!”

“Name one piece of art.”

“Well, …we’ve got, uh, the one with the smiling lady. The statue of the guy.”

“They guy?”

“Yeah, you know, uh, I think his name is Dan?”

“Dan?”

“Yeah. Dan.”

“I see. And who carved ‘Dan?’”

“Uh, well, let’s see.” Hades was sure he heard Hermes start to recite the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme under his breath. “I want to say, Master Splinter? And who could forget about Big Soup, here?”

“You-”

Hades was interrupted as a tall woman with long, dark hair rushed into the room.

“Oh, there you are,” she panted.

“Yes, Hecate, here I am. And why are you here?”

She held up a finger and pulled a thin cell phone from the pocket of her black midi-dress.

“Hello? Yes, I found him. By the Warhol. No, the other Warhol. The other Warhol. Okay. Bye.”

Hades stood. “What’s going on?”

“Well, we couldn’t find you. I thought you were going to wait in the east wing? By the peacock painting that Cassandra made?”

“We never settled on that. Besides, it was a madhouse over there.”

“Ugh, in a family of party animals, you _had_ to be the introvert, didn’t you?”

“Hestia is hardly-Hecate, where is my wife?”

“She sent me to find you. She’s in no condition to be wandering around the MoMA.”

“What? What do you mean? Is she okay? Was this Demeter’s doing? I swear on the Styx-”

Hecate held a hand up. “She’s fine. But, well, I’m glad I caught you first. Persephone, well, she didn’t…Not long after she arrived in the overworld, she started to…Look, we wanted to tell you, but she was adamant you find out in person.”

“Find out what?” Hades heart was beating a tattoo on the inside of his chest. What happened to his beloved? Where was Persephone?

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Look, Persephone is-”

“Here.”

Standing in the doorway was the light that melted the winter in Hades heart. She was exactly as he remembered her: Radiant dark skin, auburn hair that tumbled down her shoulders like a curly waterfall, her smile as wide and eyes bright as Helios’. She wore a long, roomy dress of dandelion yellow that curved over the bulge of her stomach to reach her knees and-

Wait.

The bulge of her stomach?

That wasn’t….

Hades took a shaky step toward the goddess of Spring. “P-Persephone, you-you’re...”

“Pregnant,” she smiled weakly, “Surprise.”

“See?” Hermes pointed at Hades’ slack-jawed expression. “Now _that’s_ art.”


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades and Persephone take the back way home and attempt to unravel the situation.

Hades insisted on supporting Persephone by the arm all the way down the stairs to the Underworld, despite her insistence that she was perfectly capable of handling it herself. He lead her across the River Cocytus, shushing it’s terrible cries and wails as he was in no mood.

Across, at a golden gate flanked by high, obsidian walls, were four figures. The first two, one tall and lithe, the other petite and plush, stood at attention on either side of the gate. They both wore white robes and cloth blindfolds and had hair made of many intertwined vipers.

“Welcome home, Lord and Lady,” said Euryale, the taller Gorgon.

“Welcome,” shorter Stheno chimed, “And Lady Persephone’s home!”

Persephone smiled, “Yeas, thank you, girls.” She looked to the third and fourth figure by the gate, who’d taken no notice of them yet. “And hello to you, Medusa.”

Medusa was roused from her…activity. She lay on a blanket over the cool, black grass, engrossed with a young woman with auburn hair and white eyes, who blushed furiously. Medusa scrambled to her feet.

“Uh, yes, sorry! Welcome, Lady Persephone. Lord Hades.”

“And how are you, Xenia?”

The girl blushed even deeper. “W-w-well, m-m-m’lady.”

“I don’t recall giving permission for Xenia to be out of Asphodel, today, Medusa,” Hades deadpanned.

“Last week’s visit was canceled, Lord. We were owed the time.”

“I see,” he sighed, “Next time, see that make it up when you’re off the clock, okay? I can’t imagine your sisters appreciate it.”

“They can’t see me, my Lord.”

“No,” said Euryale, “But we can hear you.”

Medusa blushed. “It won’t happen again. Um, Lady Persephone, are-” Medusa quickly slapped her hands over her uncovered eyes. “I forgot my binding! I’m so sorry, it isn’t my place-”

Persephone put a gentle hand on Medusa’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo. Just keep it to yourself, for now, okay?”

Medusa nodded.

“Now, open the gates,” Hades ordered, “We can’t be waylaid any further.”

He hurried his wife past the walls and up the path to his stately castle of dark stone trimmed with precious metals and gems.

“Honestly,” Persephone chided, “Just let Xenia live with the Gorgons. You know it tortures them to be apart.”

“Their current arrangement is already a huge concession against the natural order. The dead are meant to remain in the fields.”

“But Medusa died, and she doesn’t have to?”

“Medusa isn’t precisely human. When Athena restored her head to her body, it would be effective to say she was returned to life.”

“It just makes me sad, is all.”

“This much is more than any could’ve hoped in their situation. It took the work of more than a few gods on their side.”

Even before Persephone, Hades had felt pity for the star-crossed lovers separated by death. Medusa lost much of her love of humanity when Xenia died, and it was inevitable that someone like Perseus would eventually come along and best her. Athena, Medusa’s patron, took pity on the poor girl and gave her a second chance. She came to Hades for a permanent solution.

This was the best offer he could make: She and her immortal sisters would watch the gates of the Underworld and Medusa would be allowed to be with Xenia from time to time. At the time, Hades thought it would be temporary, just until one of them was ready to move on. But as the millennia pushed on, they never seemed to tire of each other. Hades had difficulty understanding it, at the time.

Of course, back then, he’d never been in love.

They reached the palace and Hades ushered Persephone to one of the sitting rooms, reluctantly placing her on a huge, plush cushion.

“Alright,” he sighed, “We’re home.”

“Yes,” Persephone nodded, “Now, I’m sure you have questions.”

“A few, I admit.”

“Well, it’s yours, for a start.”

“I-I-I had no doubt,” he stammered, “I would never accuse you of-”

“Relax, love, I’m pulling your leg.”

Hades slumped onto the opposite seat. “When did you know?”

“A few weeks after I got topside. Morning sickness. Then everything else sickness. I tell you, it’s hard to be a Spring goddess when the smell of honey suckle makes you nauseous. After that I started to show, and, you know…”

“How did Demeter take it?”

“She was hoping for an affair. She’s…she’s made her peace with the whole thing, but it’s hard to say that she’s ‘happy’ about it.”

“I see. I just…why didn’t you tell me?”

“I…I wanted to tell you in person. Well, I would’ve sent a letter, but then Hermes would have to deliver it, and you’d for sure think that it was a prank.”

“Sure.”

“But then you wouldn’t be sure, and start to go into a worry spiral about what would happen if it was true and you didn’t respond, so you’d compose a response.”

“Makes sense.”

“But then realize if you sent it and it was a prank, I would be confused and freak-out. And all the while Hermes and your brothers would be laughing at you from Olympus.”

“A reasonable assumption.”

“Are you angry?”

“I…no, of course not. Persephone,” he laughed, “I’m thrilled! You have no idea, I am so excited to have a child with you. And I’m also terrified. I just haven’t had time to process it.”

“Of course. Can I ask what scares you?”

“You mean, generally, or…”

She threw a pillow at him.

“Of course, you mean now. Persephone, I…I don’t know how to be a father. My own was, well, a literal monster. He ate me. Actually devoured me, along with most of my siblings. Not much of a role model, there.”

“At the very least you know not to do that.”

“Sure. Which is more than my brothers could say. But I don’t…what does a child need? What does a father do? I don’t…I don’t know how to be that.”

“I get it. Honestly, neither do I. Demeter is like an instructional manual in what not to do as a mother. But what does a mother do?”

Hades smiled. “Well, you raise the Spring every year. Create and nurture it. You have some experience in that, right?”

“I suppose.”

“But me…I’m the god of the dead. I’ve never had to raise anything.”

“Well,” she grinned, “That’s not entirely true.” She cupped her hands over her face and let out a high whistle.

The sound of scampering paws came from the hallway moments before a huge black mastiff with three heads collided with the door frame, his massive shoulders too wide to fit through. He struggled with them before shaking his heads and, in an instant, he shrunk to the size of an ordinary dog, bounded through the door, and pranced happily up to Persephone.

He seemed ready to leap into her lap but skidded to a stop. He approached her, his little steps antsy and hesitant as he sniffed at her extended belly. He looked up at her face, panting with a triple doggy grin.

“That’s right, boy, we’ve got one on the way. Now give momma a kiss.”

Cerberus huffed and put his forepaws on the cushion, elevating his face so he could slobber all over Persephone with his three tongues.

“There, there. I missed you too. See, you raised Cerberus, right? Look how clever and polite he is?”

“I suppose. Though I don’t know that I’d compare raising a dog to fathering a child.”

“And I don’t know if I’d compare raising the seasons, but it proves we’ve got something, right?”

“I…I suppose so. We’ll make the best of it we can. We certainly have the means.”

“And more than enough love.”

Hades smiled. “In no short supply. On that note,” he stood and offered his wife a hand, “I believe there’s still the matter of celebrating your homecoming?”

“Hades, you dog! Well, I suppose we better get started. Now, give me both hands, getting out of this cushion will be a bit of a trick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Medusa and Xenia are making a cameo from the first fic I posted to this account: In Another Age, where Medusa and a blind girl fall in love. I wanted to have them pop up since the Gorgons were supposed to be one of the guardians of the Underworld (and also give that fic some closure).
> 
> I should have the new chapter up soon-ish!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'll try to get new chapters up as soon as I can! And, if you liked this, check out my other fics about Greek mythology! I'm chock full of them!


End file.
